Race preview: Japanese Grand Prix
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Albono’s visit to Japan
Published
02 APR 2025
Est Reading Time
3 min
Alex will be looking to continue his fast start to 2025 when Round 3 gets under way in Japan.
Our Thai racer caught the eye with his performances in Australia and China before last weekend’s brief hiatus, so should be enthusiastic about his upcoming trip to Mie Prefecture.
Having already achieved P5 and P7 finishes in the campaign’s first two Grands Prix, Albono can certainly be confident of challenging for more points at the Suzuka International Racing Course.
Doing so would continue his undoubted positive momentum, in the first of three consecutive race weeks that will take AA23 from Japan to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
Previous performances
Albono’s first ever visit to Japan was a successful one, when he finished P4 there with Red Bull Racing in 2019.
That was just his fifth Grand Prix with the team, having switched from Toro Rosso after Round 10 of that season.
Recent stints in Suzuka have been less productive, though.
Luck hasn't been on Alex's side during his three Japanese GPs while driving for Atlassian Williams Racing, so he is still awaiting his first points there with his current outfit.
But with the FW47 performing well in Rounds 1 and 2, now could be the perfect time to turn things around at a typically tricky venue.
Excitement ahead
As alluded to above, the Suzuka International Racing Course is a track that leaves little room for error.
As such, it has often provided plenty of drama since it was first introduced to the Formula 1 calendar back in 1987.
Stretching across 5.807 km (3.608 miles), its figure of eight layout features 18 challenging turns — not least the high-speed 130R corner that requires particular precision.
Elsewhere, the Casio Triangle chicane provides late overtaking opportunities before the final straight, to add further excitement to one of F1’s most legendary venues.
Albono’s thoughts
"Racing in Japan is always a highlight for me," said Alex, when speaking ahead of the weekend's action.
"I absolutely love the country, the culture and the fans. Suzuka is definitely one of my favourite tracks on the calendar!
"We’re super focused and motivated going into this triple header.
"We’ve had such a strong start to the season and the feeling within the team is great right now.
"Everyone is working together really well, and that positive energy is crucial for these back-to-back races.
"We're all pushing in the same direction and I'm excited to see what we can achieve."
Stay up to date
Make sure to follow the AA23 live blog on our website and app, if you want to stay across all of the action this weekend.
We’ll be covering Albono’s progress from Free Practice right through to Sunday’s main event, so you’ll be on top of every development in Suzuka.
FP1 gets started at 11.30am local time (JST), ahead of FP2 at 3pm. FP3 then takes place at 11.30am on Saturday, before Qualifying at 3pm.
The race itself begins at 2pm JST the following day. See you then!
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